Insurrection not Resurrection – A Communist Message for Easter

Hank Millstein

 

Hank Millstein is a practising Roman Catholic in San Francisco.  He also serves on the National Committee and the Religion Commission of the Communist Party USA.

To Hank, Easter isn’t about the Resurrection, or even Easter Bunnies. Its about revolution, and “its already on its way”.

From the latest Peoples World

Easter isn’t about Easter bunnies – or even about going to church in Easter bonnets. The real message of Easter speaks powerfully to everyone, whatever their religious belief or unbelief.

Easter got started when, after the revolutionary preacher Jesus was executed by the forces of empire, some of his disciples had powerful experiences that convinced them that he had beaten death and was still present with them – and that Jesus’s victory over death was the start of a new world in which all oppression and injustice would be defeated. Some might argue that those experiences were fantasy or hallucination – but what those disciples then did was certainly no hallucination: they went on to build a movement, especially among the poor and oppressed, that shook the Roman Empire to the point that its rulers ultimately felt compelled to take it over and co-opt it. Yet even through all the centuries that ruling classes have tried to suppress the revolutionary element of the Easter message, people’s forces have time and again reclaimed it. Just look at the peasants’ revolts in medieval Europe, liberation theology in Latin America, and Martin Luther King and the civil rights and other people’s movements in our own country.

People of any faith or no faith should look beyond the bunnies and eggs and flowers to that original revolutionary Easter message: another world is not only possible – it’s already on its way. Easter should spur us on to the struggle to bring that new world to birth.

So now you know what Easter is really about.

Hank Millstein’s other Communist Party Religion Commission comrades include  Chicago Episcopalian labor unionist Tim Yeager and Maryland African Zionist church minister  Pierre L. Williams, a devout Christian, who financed his way through Divinity School through student loan fraud.

Share:

Author: Admin

Related Articles

43 thoughts on “Insurrection not Resurrection – A Communist Message for Easter

  1. @Terry, the first commenter; you are forgetting the Anglican Catholic Church, the Orthodox Catholic Churches, both Greek and Russian. The actual break in the catholic church began when the Roman catholic church created the papal system. Just a reminder.

  2. Funny how 11 of the 12 Apostles died a martyrs death professing Jesus as the Son of God. Funny how those same men who were so worried about dying alongside a “revolutionary preacher” were so willing to die for the risen Son of Man.
    And what happened to the 12th Apostle? That was Judas, who was so ridden by guilt for selling Jesus out, that he committed suicide.

    Hank Millstein, you are definitely being fed a load of lies from the Devil himself. I will pray for you . . . just as Jesus, himself would.

  3. Funny how 11 of the 12 Apostles, all who denied Jesus during his arrest and crusifiction, all died a martyrs death professing Jesus’ resurrection. Funny how those same men who were so worried about dying alongside a “revolutionary preacher” were so willing to die for the Son of God.
    And what happened to the 12th Apostle? That was Judas, who committed suicide, tormented with guilt.

  4. In spite of all the haters, jesus will return and i hope he resurrects me from the dead. Easter is about the promise of a better life, and in this world, it seems miraculous. So what if I told you it was possible. That the world did not have to be like it is…the way it was painted by God. As a garden upon itself, feeding everyone without discrimination of his people created from the stars. That the next world was better, fuller, and more satisfying than what you experience in the world today.

  5. Goodness, what about individual salvation?

    Guess these guys would think Che’s love of executing people without trial is a Christian act.

    Appalling.

    A Dangerous, Dangerous World.

  6. Jesus was not of this world, petty political and economic concerns were nothing to him. His mission was spiritual in nature,not earthly. He rebuked those, like the Zealots, that wanted/tempted him to lead a revolution against the “Empire” of which the communist writer has written. Oh, and what happened to religion being the opiate of the masses. Beware, communists are infiltrating and are exploiting religion for their own “godless” agenda. If there is an official schism, which I believe is coming, I will proudly side with Rome.

  7. It is funny that communists now recognize Easter. Not long ago in the communists countries an attempt to celebrate Ester was a punishable offense in a labor or re-educational camps (to teach them a lesson). Actually in China it still is.

    Besides how can you say that revolution is coming if it already came and left in disgrace. Funny thing is it was defeated by the people commies pretend to protect, the worker class.

    It was a labor union in Poland that kick commies in the teeth. That may be why our most awesome president Obama refused to celebrate 30th anniversary of Solidarity in Gdansk, Poland.

    I think the most important message for all of those who celebrate Ester is that “isms” (communism, socialism, liberalism, progressivism – American version of communism and as old) and empires come and go but our God and His Son are with us forever.

    Our Church is 2000 years old and counting. How long did workers paradise lasted in Soviet Russia? As long as other people’s money lasted (stolen, confiscated and borrowed). 70 years plus minus. Too bad that they had to kill between 30 – 60 million of their own people to stay in power.

    1. Easter is a PAGAN fertility rite thus the rabbit, chickens, eggs and spring renewal. It is called Ashtaroth

      Ashtaroth (ăsh’turoth) [key], Hebrew plural form of Ashtoreth, the name of the Canaanite fertility goddess and consort of Baal. Her name is vocalized in Greek as Astarte. She was worshiped at various local shrines. There are several references to her in the Bible. If you are a true Christian, you would celebrate passover. Christ died on a Wed as sundown would have been Thursday,which started passover that year. Friday was another “low” holy day and Saturday was the sabbath. Jewish days started at sundown so so Wednesday sundown to Thursday sundown = 1 day Thursday sundown to Friday sundown = 2 days and Friday sundown to Saturday sundown = 3 days. Jesus rose after sundown on Sunday, 3 days after the crucifixion on WEDNESDAY as he was the PASSOVER lamb. Get 3 days from “good” Friday to Sunday. Seems the church appeased the heathens by incorporating their “rituals” into the “holy” days. Passover is the 15 day of Nissan ever year and has nothing to do with Sunday. It is about 30 days after the spring equinox and is a SOLAR calculation as God does solar and Satan does lunar.

  8. “There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church, which is of course, quite a different thing.”
    -Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

  9. Jesus is for all of humanity. He is no respecter of persons. His death was for the sins of the rich and the poor. Jesus is the answer to the universal human condition: separation from God due to our human rebellion against Him. The poor and rich alike need salvation.

    The line between good and evil runs through the heart of every human being. Communism gets this wrong.

  10. I suggest that everyone go on Millstein’s facebook page and send him a message telling him not to compare his sick and twisted thinking and agenda to the salvation work of our Lord and saviour.

  11. Millstein claiming to be a Catholic is like my saying I’m a mountain, it just ain’t so! The communists and socialists will do anything to take people away from God. Gosh, just like the other evil one mentioned in the Bible. In fact Jesus foretold the charlatans and that they would increase… and how He would deal with them in eternity.

  12. Dear Bill – I’ve learned a lot from Glenn Beck – who is a Mormon and also calls himself a Christian – and I fervently believe he knows the Jesus of the Bible and has a personal relationship wtih Him. As corrupt as the Catholic Church has been in the past, it is still no wonder that the progressive idealogues in Washington and elsewhere have created a “new Catholic” church to suit their own sinful and disgraceful agendas. Religion won’t save them any more than religion will save anybody. Only Jesus Christ can save them and unless Obama and his ilk turn to Him, they will all be lost. It’s tragic though, that in the meantime they will either destroy or come close to destroying the America we love. When will most people awaken and realize that is their intention? To create a “European welfare state” here in America – and level the playing field so there can be “social justice” for all – aka Obama’s Revenge.

  13. Catholic leaders, such as the Pope and priests, fell into line with Adolph Hitler.
    ““There has never been anything more grandiose on the earth than the hierarchical organization of the Catholic Church. I transferred much of this organization into my own party.” – Adolph Hitler – (The Nazi Persecution of the Churches” by J.S. Conway – Pgs. 25, 26 & 162).”
    http://www.remnantofgod.org/nazircc.htm

    1. Ladyhawk – your post is historically inaccurate and unfair. Pope Piux XII:
      – saved hundreds of thousands of Jewish lives during WWII
      – warned others about Nazism prior to the war
      – publicly revealed Nazi atrocities on Polish Jews
      – publicly condemned Nazi invasions – prompting the NYT to applaud Pius’ 1941 Christmas address “The voice of Pius XII is a lonely voice in the silence and darkness enveloping Europe this Christmas…In calling for a ‘real new order’ based on ‘liberty, justice, and love’…the Pope put himself squarely against Hitlerism.
      – publicly condemned deportation of Jews
      – was seen as a clear opponent by the Nazi’s themselves
      – was widely praised and thanked by Jewish leaders such as Chaim Weizmann, Moshe Sharett & Golda Meir (recall that the Israeil Philharmonic flew to Rome in May of 1955 to express their gratitude to the Pope and the Catholic Church).

      But let’s not let facts get in the way of a good smear. Those with open minds seeking the truth might want to read this article by Rabbi David Dalin: http://www.catholicleague.org/pius.php?id=11

  14. I have to ditto what Bill said and say excellent analysis Terry. I first read this and could not believe the twisting of the gospel to fit a sad sick humanist political agenda. I’m glad I took a few moments and made the time to cool down before responding. I would not have been proud of myself if I had done that, after all the Word teaches to be quick to listen and slow to speak.

  15. I’ve heard this since the 60s. Always in a cloak of Christianity or Catholicism, but always in a temper tantrum, without joy or hope or faith in this God within us. Because they insist on taking God OUT–out of Christian morality and out of peace and justice work. If you do that, there is no reaason for morality, for peace and justice, for communism. Just their emptiness, disilusion, anger, hatred. I’ve witnessed it for 60 years. Without acknowledging God, there is no reason for socialism, communism, peace and justice work. says Nietsche). Right on.

  16. I think it’s time for some de-programming of cults on the web. We can’t wait for just an election. We need more action. And soon.

  17. There are two catholic churches in the United States: the New American Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

    The schism is there, it just has not been formalized… but that is coming. All Catholics will need to make a choice.

    Those who did not read the health care act will be surprised. It has so much more in it than anyone could ever realize. As Palosi (a member of the New American Catholic Church) acknowledged, people needed to wait until the bill passed to see what is in it.

    The health care act will cause the complete shut down of ALL Catholic hospitals, clinics, and schools (from pre K to university). It is about the complete destruction of the entire health care system and the replacement of that system by a government run/centralized health care system. It is about control — social, behavioral, psychological, biological. It is about eugenics.

    To Hank — the gospel…the resurrection is not about revolution, nor social justice — it is about eternal salvation! Jesus did not come to “organize the poor”, he came so that we would have eternal life. Christian charity and love flows from salvation and the Grace of God.

    AND Jesus was not “executed by the empire”..Jesus paid a price for our sins and our embrace of evil ways and evil acts. Through his death and resurrection evil was overcome and destroyed. How sad that this man calls himself Catholic!

    I find it interesting that so many “catholics” embrace socialism and communism. May 1st is a celebration/remembrance of Pope John Paul 2 — he KNEW what socialism and communism was all about. He spent his life fighting it. Writings of the popes over the years have repeatedly condemned communism and socialism, but in the interest of “social justice” writers for the New American Church repeatedly selectively refuse to acknowledge those statements, instead focusing on statements/comments to advance their own agendas. They also forget that it is Mary who repeatedly through out history in her visits to folks around the globe speaks continuously about the dangers of communism. It was the message of Fatima that echos in my heart as I see what is going on in the world. To Catholics everywhere I invite you to pray the rosary. These are dark times and persecution is coming.

    1. Excellent analysis, Terry – couldn’t agree more. As a Mormon we may disagree a bit but I’m behind you 100%, brother.

    2. There are two catholic churches in the United States…All Catholics will need to make a choice.

      Given what the Church is doing in Cuba – assisting in the involuntary exile of dissidents and giving aid and comfort to a doddering Communist dicatatorship – that isn’t much of a choice.

      Tho I’m curious: The health care act will cause the complete shut down of ALL Catholic hospitals, clinics, and schools (from pre K to university)

      How will HCR infringe upon the schools? I know why the hospitals and clinics will shutdown, but the schools?

    3. It all sounds good, but why pray the rosary, a completely useless act? Mary does not absolve sin (nor can she) or save. Christ alone is the one from God who can and does save. Try, for once, reading the Bible for yourself.

      1. No one says that Mary forgives sin or saves people.

        “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” – Biblical.

        “Holy Mary, Mother of God” – Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary.

        “Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

        So basically you’re saying, what’s the point of having a friend pray for you if they can not absolve sin or save?

        1. Mary was a wonderful woman chosen by God to give birth to the God man Jesus Christ, but she was a sinner just like everyone else. She called her own son her Lord and her God. She can’t hear your prayers anymore than anyone else that has died can. She was a wonderful lady but the bible is clear, we are to pray to no one except God the Father through the name of Jesus.
          Happy Resurrection day!

          1. I would like to see your reasoning as to why the dead can’t hear our prayers.

          2. What about, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”? And how could the rich man see Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham if they were “dead”. That is the point of 1st Thessalonians where we are being told that if we believe Jesus died and rose from the dead then those that are “asleep” (alive within him), we can not proceed but they will come with him for the Millennium as with a shout or TRUMP. The trump is the 7th trump and there is NO rapture, that is a lie and will cause many to follow the first “morning star” which will be the imposter, Satan who comes at the 6th seal, the 6th vial and 6th TRUMP thus the number of the man, 666.Even Jesus, himself, said he would not return until AFTER the desolator makes desolate and pointed to Daniel which talks of the abomination of desolation (Satan) that stands in the holy place, claiming to be above the gods and ultimately claiming to be GOD.

        2. Thank you for this explanation of the Rosary. By what authority does one pray to anyone but God directly? I look forward to your thoughtful reply.

          Sincerely,

          Travis

          1. We all pray to God. There is no one else to pray to.

            Have you ever asked someone to pray for you? Do they say “No, go directly to the Father yourself.” Of course not. If they care about you, they would be happy to. Why should we expect those who have died and are with the Father now to care any less for those they loved on earth? We are all connected through our love of God and desire to please Him. Some of us are now closer to Him than others. So we ask those who have died and gone before us to include us in their intercessions, as they are offered to God like incense (Rev 5:8, 8:3-4). James tells us that the prayers of the righteous man has great power in its effects – who are more righteous than the perfect souls in Heaven? I don’t know about you, but I need all the help I can get!

      2. I don’t think you are Catholic, otherwise you would understand what we mean by prayin the Rosary. We do understand that Our Lady does not absolve sin, nor can she save anybody by Herself. We pray to Her because we believe Her Son listens to Her. We ask her to be by our side when the Father calls us in front of Him. She is our Mother and we ask for Her protection. Our Lord Jesus forgives sin and saves, but we also believe that He listens to His Mother, and we ask for Her help.

        1. By all thing were made by God and Jesus as “God with us” would hardly need to listen to Mary other than out of respect which he did as a child.I recognize her significance in the whole story but we are NOT to pray to anyone but God through Jesus. You can pray to God FOR someone but to call on the ancestors is not written as doing much good. If it makes one feel better, I am sure there is no real harm but we are to pray for ourselves or others on to God through the name of Jesus, showing we believe God cared enough to go through the same things he would have his “children” go through. Also, if they followed his example to the best of their abilities and asked for forgiveness by repenting of their sins, he would now be a forgiving Father having done what Satan would not do, come born of woman to live in the flesh. He did it without sins and as such, being killed by Satan’s offspring, is now totally justified in destroying Satan and those that follow him. Otherwise, it could be said that God did not understand his creation, man or the souls he created. We try to understand pets as if we were them and cannot since we are not their kind, well God became as we are so who can say that God does NOT understand those that HE created? We are a creation. We will never be like God but he wants our love and companionship and is willing to give us as much as we can handle in blessings, if not now, then after this short time in these clay vessels. Would not we be the same if we were all that is and yet could create out of “nothing”, everything? Would be a bore to just have robots so he gave free will, unfortunately one of the creations got deranged in thinking he could BE God. He thought he knew all that God is but God never let him know ALL that God is nor could a creation EVER become God as there is only ONE. “There can be but one…”

      3. “Sola Scriptura” started the Protestant Reformation, which was, in reality a “Revolution” against the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church.
        Today there are over 35,000 sects of protestant faiths because it is believed by protestants that anyone can “interpret” the Bible, which is their only deposit of faith.
        With interpretation, comes a knowledge of HISTORY, an understanding of the spoken language of the times and SACRED TRADITION. (Handed down through Apostolic succession by word of mouth in the first 300 years of the Church)
        The “HOLY Woman” referred to in the Bible at the mother of Our Lord was a “Virgin” who conceived by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT. It would be difficult to understand HER role in the REDEMPTION of mankind with the Bible as the only source of knowledge.
        She has placed Her foot on the Head of Satan, which She will crush, because She was the UNBLEMISHED VESSEL that, with her FIAT, Her “YES”, received the “MAN-GOD” into HER womb and gave birth to the REDEEMER!
        The Old Testament is filled with prophetic discourse on this HOLY WOMAN, whom Elizabeth, Her cousin, calls; Blessed among Woman!
        Protestants misunderstand the Rosary, which meditates on the Life of the Holy Family and the life, Passion and Resurrection of Christ. We pray for HER intercession and protection!

        The ROSARY is the most powerful weapon against SATAN because the Holy Mother conquered SATAN with Her obedience to GOD!

        When Jesus began His public life, it was His Mother who asked for the First Miracle on behalf of the groom. (Intercession)

        In summary, Catholics have the advantage of the “Complete Picture” of salvation, which includes the HOLY BIBLE with the History and Sacred Tradition of the Roman Catholic Church.

        1. If you accept that the Bible is the inspired word of God, then you implicitly accept the authority of the Catholic Church, as they have compiled the Bible in its current form. Nowhere in Scripture does it say which books belong in the Bible, only through the Church has this information been revealed to us.

          “I would not believe the Gospel itself, if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so.” – St. Augustine, 4th century.

        2. “The traditions of man make VOID the word of God …” Need I say more. Jesus ONLY did that miracle to please Mary as he did not want to make known who he was, yet. Mary is a great person but is NOT to be worshiped and the rosary is not the best weapon against Satan. Our understanding of God and his coming as Jesus Christ and how the end of the flesh age will happen is more important. If Catholics go to church everyday and then think the first super natural entity that comes is Jesus, what was the point. Is the rosary going to tell you that Satan comes as a “bright morning star” and claims to be Christ? No and as to interpretation of the Bible, get a concordance and translate the words yourself so no MAN deceives you – we are responsible for our understand and when the temple veil was rent at the third hour, the holy of holies was open to us all to go directly to God invoking the name of Jesus to show we know who he IS so we don’t need a POPE or a preacher or any MAN to stand between us and God. Man’s traditions make VOID the word of God and MOST religions have made this mistake. You either are a CHRIST MAN (Christian) or not. It is NOT a religion but just IS. It means you believe in God, the Father Jesus Christ as the word made flesh and as the MANifestation of GOD and the Holy spirit which is the means God can communicate with us. Follow the basic 10 commandments (Jesus condensed to 2 or 1 depending on how you want to split man riules and God rule such as worship no other gods.) Is that too simple? We are now (2nd Heaven and Earth Age)as we were (1st Heaven and Earth age when the rebellion happened and GOD destroy (made void) the Earth) and will be (Eternity) so get rid of the hocus pokus, mubo jumbo and just go directly to God without the incense and repetitious babblings. God is no respecter of MEN (means women too)

      4. I’ve never met a Catholic who believed that Mary can absolve sin. Those who pray to Mary do so for guidance. That you view “praying the rosary” as a “completely useless act” leads me to one of two conclusions: you either believe that the only useful acts are the ones that lead to absolution (a rather bizarre conviction); or, you are a rabid, Catholic-hating bigot. I suspect the latter, as you labor under the typically ignorant, Protestant assumption that Catholics have never read the Bible. By the way, God is to be experienced in the world and through human interaction, not through the obsessive re-reading of scriptual passages written by flawed human beings (the Church has rightly and soundly declared that divine inspiration is not synonymous with infallibility). Try doing without your daily dose of scriptual heroin for once and start living for a change: you might find it spiritually salubrious.

    4. You can’t be communist or socialist and Catholic. Read the Social Encyclicals.

      There is only one kind of Catholic not two. Either you are Catholic or you are not.

    5. Terry, you are a true Christian. Millstein is a typical communist; they want control of what they just don’t know. Power for the sake of power. Terry is right in everything he says.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *